Russet Lodge Custom Knits

I don't have a lot of time to chatter today, but I do have pics of my latest finished socks.  I cobbled together pieces of various patterns I liked to come up with this.

I have to admit, today I am as pleased as the cat that got the cream.  For all the years I've been making custom kilt hose for sale I have had the idea rattling around to make a universal pattern calculator for kilt hose.  I am a knitter who loves the freedom of knitting without a pattern to make something unique and well-fitted.  There is something thrilling in sitting down with paper and pencil and working it out every step of the way.  That said, I know not everyone's mind has the degree of math geekery and OCD that mine does, and I wanted to find a relatively simple way to help people who don't daydream about becoming an engineer to create something fully customized.  I've avoided this project for a long time because, well, pattern design is complicated.  It requires a lot of time and thought, even when you're not doing algebra that includes nineteen different variables (yes, really). I would first like to say a huge thank you to the kind folks over a...

Boy have I got a mess o' projects to share with everyone! First is a simple scarf I'm weaving in the pinwheel houndstooth pattern, also known as the friendship star.  This is 100% Peruvian Highland wool and will be heading to a dear friend in a cold place. Remember that SPAKAL (spin and knit-along) I'm doing?  I've spun 9 out of 24 ounces of the wool for my sweater.  It's still possible I could do this in 2012, though I'll have to work hard. I have just a few repeats of the last section on my Color Affection shawl before starting the solid border.  I should have yarn left over for hat/mitts too. And heavens preserve us, I've started an English paper piecing project.  I'm not sure how I'll put these together yet, right now I'm happily making hexagons, then I can lay them out and see what speaks to me. Come check out all the great projects at Idaho Etsy Team and please make sure to say hi and check out what everyone else is ...